Police roped off the driveway of an Alvord Street home where the victim of an alleged assault was found bleeding from the head Thursday evening.
Tom Cleary — Register Citizen

TORRINGTON >> A confrontation over a parking spot quickly turned into a violent melee as witnesses say two men ganged up on, and brutally beat, 41-year-old Richard Molway late Thursday night, in what some referred to as a rough, crime-riddled part of the city.

The fight left Molway, who friends said suffers from chronic back and neck problems and has four metal brackets inserted into his neck, with deep gashes, on his head and near his eyebrow, a broken nose and missing teeth, his girlfriend told The Register Citizen.

A witness said at least some of Molway’s injuries were inflicted by police while restraining him.

Molway, 42, was transported by ambulance to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was “conscious” and speaking with officers. A Lifestar helicopter was waiting to transport him to Hartford, police said, but it was called off. Molway was later released from the hospital and arrested on charges of breach of peace and interfering, police said.

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Two suspects, 20-year-old Tyler Hamilton and 25-year-old Keith Oday, both of whom didn’t appear to have suffered any significant injuries, were arrested and in lockup at Torrington police headquarters late Thursday night, charged for their roles in the fight. Hamilton was charged with second-degree assault and breach of peace, while O’Day was issued a misdemeanor summons on scene and charged with breach of peace

“They [the suspects] beat the s--- out of him,” said Alyssa McDonald, who identified herself as Molway’s girlfriend. “His face is demolished.”

A swarm of Torrington police cruisers descended upon the area near George Street and Donahue Place after a verbal spat between the three men erupted around 6 p.m., near the suspects’ two-story home. It progressed to a portion of Donohue Place before ending near the victim’s home on Alvord Street, witnesses said.

Detectives were still on scene interviewing people hours after the call came in.

Police said Molway, bloodied and confused after being struck multiple times in the head, stumbled back to his home, where his girlfriend found him laying on his back.

McDonald said her boyfriend, whom she said was actually 42, had previous run-ins with the men who lived at the house, referencing an incident she said occurred two weeks ago in which her boyfriend was “sucker punched” by an assailant living or visiting the 16 George St. house. She said the assailant fled before police could catch up with him.

Police didn’t confirm being dispatched on such a call and The Register Citizen couldn’t immediately, and independently, confirm the account.

Stewart Rushlow, 53, a neighbor who lives on Alvord Street, said he saw the victim, Molway, get “knocked out” and used his shirt to put pressure on the man’s bloody head wound.

Molway apparently split a portion of his eyebrow open on the concrete after a police officer, who arrived on the chaotic scene, took him down to the ground when a disoriented Molway began cursing at police, according to witness reports. Molway never became violent or threatened police, Rushlow said.

A patch of blood was visible on the driveway in front of the Alvord Street residence, which police had roped off.

“The officer figured he was thrashing about and took him down,” Rushlow said. “They needed to use the force. They had no other choice.”

Police said Molway was in stable condition shortly after the incident and speaking with officers about his role in the altercation, which broke out minutes after he went to go move his girlfriend’s pickup from nearby the suspects’ home.

A man identified by police as Hamilton was seen being handcuffed and placed into a police cruiser before being driven away. The other suspect, Oday, was read his Miranda Rights as officers culled and interviewed more than a half-dozen people.

Baldis said a “corral of people” exchanged words with Molway before the fight broke out. Police didn’t say who threw the first punch, but Molway’s girlfriend, pointing to a previous altercation, painted Hamilton and Oday as the instigators. Police later said that Molway and Hamilton were the two “primary aggressors” in the fight.

Witnesses said Molway had stepped out of his girlfriend’s truck after a group of people that included the suspects began shouting at him from across the street.

Randie Perry, a 30-year-old woman who lives in the neighborhood and said she saw part of the fight, said Molway was trying to de-escalate the situation when it turned volcanic.

“The more he tried to apologize,” she said, “the worse it got.”

One of the men, believed to be Hamilton, approached the driver’s side of the truck and got in Molway’s face, Perry said.

Police were overhead saying they’ve dealt with one of the suspects previously, to which McDonald responded, “Why is he allowed to menace the world?”

McDonald said she regretted parking her vehicle near the suspects’ home.

“I should have known better,” she said.

Molway and O’Day were released from police custody and are expected to appear in Bantam on May 12. Hamilton is currently being held on a $5,000 bond.